With the advent of microprocessor-based data distribution systems, the use of electronic voice and computerized information systems has proliferated, especially in the business sector. For instance, in the money commodity dealing field, it is common to provide trading rooms with a plurality of work stations, each station typically including a variety of data and communication equipment such as computer keyboard or keyboards, computer display screens in the form of cathode ray tubes, a telephone turret with a specified number of direct lines and telephone line monitoring units and other peripheral devices. In order to ensure optimum interaction between traders during trading periods to make maximum unitization of space, the work stations are oftentimes ganged together to form a cluster of work stations. Such clusters can be formed by arranging several double work stations (i.e., two work stations arranged in back-to-back or tandem fashion) side-by-side, the resulting cluster comprising two rows of back-to-back work stations.
In providing work stations in trading rooms, there are special considerations that need to be addressed. One consideration relates to the provision of clear sight lines over the work stations for various purposes including efficient communication between traders in the trading room. Another consideration relates to the provision of work stations adapted for quick and efficient assembly, disassembly and reconfiguration due to the advent of the 24 hour global trading practices and the consequences resulting therefrom (e.g., the need to complete services, removal, upgrade and/or reconfiguration of work stations within the limited time period of off hours, such as evening, weekends and holidays). In addition, because of the proliferation of the local area network and desk top computer technology, there are numerous user-preferred combinations of computer-related equipment varying from work station to work station. As a result, the work stations need to be adapted for adjustability and retrofittability in accordance with user preference.
Computer work stations have been developed in the past (see, for instance, U.S. Pat. Nos. Des. 251,666; Des. 275,284; 4,316,082; 4,345,803 and 4,449,762). While some of these work stations have a modular construction (see, for instance, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,313,112 and 4,458,961) and others are adapted to be ganged together (see, for instance, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 251,592), they are not specifically designed to be arranged in back-to-back or side-by-side fashion due to their absence of a common, unobstructed raceway core and/or double faced center spline slat wall partition. Thus, these work stations are not especially suitable for the formation of clusters which comprise two rows of work stations arranged back-to-back. As a result, such clusters have in the past been formed by arranging conventional desks in back-to-back fashion (see, for instance, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,886,766 and 2,694,614).
One problem encountered when gaging together the conventional desks or computer work stations described above involves providing adequate room for and access to the necessary telephone, data and electrical service lines and accessory equipment. Without adequate room for technicians to gain access to such service lines and accessory equipment, field installation and maintenance can be made difficult.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,619,486 and 4,883,330 disclose a spine assembly adapted to support a pair of desk tops in back-to-back fashion. A plurality of spine assemblies may be joined end-to-end to create an interconnected network of desk assemblies. While each spine assembly is adapted to house utility and communication lines, no provision is made to mount electronic equipment, such as computer control processing units and monitors, from or in the spine assembly.
Frame-type desk systems have also been developed (see, for instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,609,402). Such a desk system includes a frame assembly to support its utilitarian components. More particularly, the frame assembly, which is typically constructed of steel tubes or aluminum extrusions, is provided with a rear perimeter frame for supporting a slat wall extrusion, which has a plurality of continuous grooves extending horizontally between ends thereof for supporting a plurality of monitors in cantilevered fashion, and a front perimeter frame for supporting a raceway fascia. The front and rear frames are connected to each other via a pair of upper transverse extrusions and a pair of lower transverse extrusions, which extend along the floor supporting the desk system. For supporting a work top, an angular tube frame extends outwardly from the top of the front frame over a knee well adapted to receive the user's legs.
Because of its frame construction, the desk system suffers from several problems. For instance, it is typically required that the frame assembly be pre-assembled before the shipping thereof to an installation site in order to reduce the overall installation time. As a result, problems concerning the shipping and handling of the pre-assembled frame assembly are created due to the large size of the pre-assembled frame assembly. Further, because each desk system is supported by its own frame assembly, there are structures which become redundant when a plurality of frame-type desk systems are used in a back-to-back work station configuration and which thereby take up valuable space.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,798,423 to Paul M. LaCour, the inventor herein, discloses a modular desk system comprising two work tops arranged to provide a pair of back-to-back work stations. The desk system is specifically designed so that it can be ganged in end-to-end fashion with other similar desk systems to form a cluster of work stations. The work tops of each desk system are cantilevered from a core, which is common to both of the work stations and which has a substantially unobstructed, interior raceway for data, communication and electrical service lines and accessory equipment. The top of the core is substantially open (i.e., uncovered) so that a monitor and telephone equipment turrets can be lowered below the work top elevation and into the core without obstructing ancillary support structure. While the core has the capability of housing telephone and computer equipment contained within the turret, such equipment has a predetermined, substantially fixed position within the turret, thereby inhibiting their repositioning and/or adjustment in the field in response to changing needs and requirements of the user.
The desk system disclosed in the LaCour '423 Patent has been a commercial success since its introduction to the marketplace. While it continues to have utility in installations where user needs and requirements are unlikely to change significantly during the lifetime of the desk system, there is now a need for a desk system possessing the benefits and advantages of the one disclosed in the LaCour '423 Patent, as well as the potential for greater field adjustability and retrofittability (i.e., greater "flexibility").